SMASH AND TEENY - GATHERING (2CD)

"Gathering brings together the most exceptional music and video art of Toronto duo Smash and Teeny, created live in performance, studio and site-specific outdoor locations in Canada, the U.S. and England between 2001-2003. In this double-CD debut of Smash and Teeny, featuring special guest John Butcher, prepared electric guitar, manipulated natural and urban sounds, de-tuned shô and soprano and tenor saxophones conspire and collide, weaving impossibly beautiful improvised sonic landscapes. A stunning blend of saxophone science meets a universe of crafted sampled environments and ancient reed cries, all blended with guitar that has been lovingly altered to resemble massed percussion and string ensembles. Kaladar Kodex (video) features the sonic inspired calligraphy of Chung Gong Ha set to an improvised musical score by the Toronto-based mixed media trio, Cinnamon Sphere (Peebles, Perera and Gong). Juxtaposing real-time with the non-linear, "Kaladar Kodex" provides a layered psychological perspective of the act of spontaneous creation: two musicians and a calligrapher come together in a rural field where they explore their musical, artistic, physical and spiritual connection to the elements and to the historical far m surrounding them. Peebles reconstructs their performance and the myriad of views recorded by herself and Perera, with an eye towards the textures of plants, creatures and ink, musical gesture, and non-linear, experimental form. This is a tableau of improvisation in the moment < an autumn afternoon as the storm approaches beyond the barn." (label info) Nilan Perera - altered electric guitar and effects, Sarah Peebles - laptop & de-tuned shô (mouth-organ) with guest artists John Butcher - soprano and tenor saxophones and Chung Gong - calligraphy performance (video).